12 midnight at 12 Galaxies with Jessica Sawczuk (cq) of SF, and Matt James from Columbus Ohio. New Year's Eve celebration in the Mission. Shot on 1/1/05 in San Francisco. LIZ HAFALIA/The Chronicle

12 midnight at 12 Galaxies with Jessica Sawczuk (cq) of SF, and Matt James from Columbus Ohio. New Year's Eve celebration in the Mission. Shot on 1/1/05 in San Francisco. LIZ HAFALIA/The Chronicle

Photo: Liz Hafalia

Image 2 of 7

ewyears_020_db.jpg
New Year's eve revelers celebrate on a cable car styled bus in North Beach going down Columbus Ave. 12/31/04 in San Francisco Darryl Bush/The Chronicle

ewyears_020_db.jpg
New Year's eve revelers celebrate on a cable car styled bus in North Beach going down Columbus Ave. 12/31/04 in San Francisco Darryl Bush/The Chronicle

Image 3 of 7

newyears_043_db.jpg
New Year's eve revelers Peter Susoev and Mohini Delapena both of San Francisco, have dinner as they celebrate at the Purple Onion nightclub In North Beach. 12/31/04 in San Francisco Darryl Bush/The Chronicle Ran on: 01-01-2005
Revelers whoop it up as their bus, designed to resemble a cable car, makes its way down Columbus Avenue in San Francisco. less

newyears_043_db.jpg
New Year's eve revelers Peter Susoev and Mohini Delapena both of San Francisco, have dinner as they celebrate at the Purple Onion nightclub In North Beach. 12/31/04 in San Francisco Darryl ... more

Image 4 of 7

Karima Irany (left) and Bethany Garbo (right) at the Beauty Bar. New Year's Eve celebration in the Mission. Shot on 12/31/04 in San Francisco. LIZ HAFALIA/The Chronicle

Karima Irany (left) and Bethany Garbo (right) at the Beauty Bar. New Year's Eve celebration in the Mission. Shot on 12/31/04 in San Francisco. LIZ HAFALIA/The Chronicle

Photo: Liz Hafalia

Image 5 of 7

Image 6 of 7

newyears_045_db.jpg
From left: Brian Lappin, Caroline Chapman, both of San Francisco celebrate with friends New Year's by having there first toast with "purple onion martinis" at the Purple Onion nightclub In North Beach. 12/31/04 in San Francisco Darryl Bush/The Chronicle less

newyears_045_db.jpg
From left: Brian Lappin, Caroline Chapman, both of San Francisco celebrate with friends New Year's by having there first toast with "purple onion martinis" at the Purple Onion nightclub In ... more

Image 7 of 7

SAN FRANCISCO / Goodbye and good riddance, say revelers / Merrymakers flock to San Francisco, doing their best to forget a year full of very tough times

1 / 7

Back to Gallery

Year 2004 got the heave-ho last night, accompanied by rain and by other liquids even more potent.

A lot of people were glad to see it go and a lot of people were too lubricated to know if they were glad.

"The year ended so sadly," said Camille Paras, 24, who was skating at the Embarcadero ice rink and going around and around in circles without getting anywhere, like much of the world in the year past.

"There were the tsunamis," she said. "And then there's the war, and Bush getting re-elected. Not good."

Elite runners start the first wave of Bay to Breakers 2018San Francisco Chronicle

Coyote trots around Golden Gate parkTed Andersen, SFGATE

"Next year will be better, because you have to live in the future," he said. "And New Year's Eve is great. It's a chance for everyone to get drunk."

All along the Embarcadero, the traditional elements were in place. There seemed to be a blue Porta Potti on every corner. There were 12 of them at Howard Street and 13 more near Mission Street.

Scores of steel police barricades were in place, and getting across some streets seemed as challenging as passing through Checkpoint Charlie.

The only thing lacking was mobs of people.

By 10 o'clock, the crowd gathering to watch the midnight fireworks numbered in the hundreds, maybe a thousand. While many more were expected to shout in the New Year, a police spokeswoman said the weather appeared to be keeping revelers away in droves.

"It's way lighter than usual," said Officer Maria Oropeza. "In the past, there have been up to 100,000 people, but I don't see that happening tonight. I think the rain really got to people."

Lauren Domingo of Fremont, who was waiting with her daughter, mother and boyfriend, said the family opted for the fireworks show because "we like to do the countdown with the rest of the people, instead of just the four of us at home."

Inside the Hyatt Regency, thousands of black and white ballons hung in nets from the ceiling even though, on the lobby floor below, no one was getting nominated for anything.

It cost $500 for the right to have the balloons fall on your head, which was a bargain, said Michael Garrison of Santa Rosa, who was celebrating with his main squeeze, Angie Beets. The $500 bought you the balloons, funny hats, a bed and the chance to listen to the Pointer Sisters. Drinks were extra.

At the Hyatt party, you buy drinks with purple $5 drink tickets. Ernestine and John Quesada of Antioch bought eight.

"Might not be enough," John Quesada said. "But we have a bottle of margaritas in our room upstairs to start us off."

Ernestine said that 2004 was worth saying goodbye to, and none too soon.

"Good riddance," she said. "Tsunamis. The war. The election. And we lost a lot of great people. Like Ray Charles. It's been a year of catastrophes."

Inside Boulevard restaurant, Stephanie and Darrin Swan were toasting goodbye to the year. Stephanie was drinking mango lemonade which, she said, was not nearly potent enough.

"I'm going to have to switch to wine in order to put 2004 away," she said. "It was a stressful year. Economics. The tsunamis. And the election, that was crushing."

In the nearby Financial District, office workers had already thrown 2004 out the window in the traditional tossing of the calendar pages.

It's getting harder and harder to find thrown-away pages, mainly because it's getting harder and harder to find high-rise office windows that actually open. But on Montgomery Street, there were still a few.

On Sept. 29, said one page, it had been time to "buy supplies." On March 4, said another page, it was time to "take camera to the repair shop." And Oct. 10 was the day for someone to "call Sophie."